Hi, it's all discontinued so you get whatever you can wherever you can find it (retail, ebay, etc)..., or start experimenting with non-hp inks and heads. I think some users here do that, but I'm still using hp stuff. I don't know how well the after-market stuff compares to hp.
Using HP inks as well but mainly from other cartridges with HP Vivera pigment inks. 300ML and 775ML sizes. The HP772 and HP 745/6/7 are easy as they fit, only add the chip cap of an empty HP70 -73 on them. The HP772 carts with identical ink names to the HP70 carts, like the Light Grey, have the same ink-tone-hue. HP70 and HP772 were both used on the Z5200 so there is no difference in the inks themselves, the range of inks of the Z5200 is more limited (like the Z2100 range is) and you can't use the straight Cyan HP772 on a Z3200 but that one suits the Z2100. The range of HP745/6/7 300ML carts have the Chromatic Red, Blue, Green. I have used the Chromium Red so far. There is a GE cart as well in that range.
MK, PK, Yellow, Magenta, Light Magenta, Chromatic Red and to a lesser extend Light Cyan is found in more HP cart types with Vivera Pigment content or the follow up pigment ink. HP775/6/7 for example.
The tricky part is in the Light Gray and possibly Gray inks. For example the HP775 Light Gray ink is closer in tone/density to the HP70 Gray ink (if not alike) so not usable in the Z3200 Light Gray channel. I suspect that a Gray cart of a non HP70 or HP772 type may have a different tone/density as well.
In my part of the world expired HP772 Light Gray carts on Ebay and alike are more expensive than new HP772 carts. It is the most consumed ink on printers with that LG channel but also because the HP772 and HP70 Light Gray carts have no equivalent in the other HP carts.
What I fear more is the end of supply of Z3200 heads. Inks I can cope with, salvaged printer parts I have, some Chinese parts are not bad either but heads ............
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
